How To Turn Off Apple’s Frequent Locations Tracking

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If you’re unhappy with all the tracking Apple does on you, there’s now something you can do about it.

There had been rumors that iOS 7 would have special spy capabilities in it. I dismissed the reports at first, but the tech blogs have been blowing up with info about Apple’s use of location services.

With a setting called ‘Frequent Locations,’ Apple knows when you arrive somewhere, when you leave that place, and where you’ve been.

Of course, all the tracking is being done to make money marketing things to you. So there is a legitimate use. Yet if your phone is lost or stolen, that same tracking leaves a clear record about who you are and what you do on a daily basis.

Thankfully, the good news is you can also easily turn off the ‘Frequent Locations’ capability.

Here's how to turn off frequent locations tracking on iOS

Simply go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and then at the bottom of that screen, you'll see the ability to turn off Frequent Locations, according to Apple.

Apple’s archrival Google, meanwhile, has made enormous money with tracking. But they’ve been very good with asking for your permission to track you.

Google has a service called Google Now that tracks what you’re doing and what you’re up to. I’ve found that about 25% of the info they collect on me is helpful.

For example, as I walk out to my car from work at the end of the day, Google Now tells me what the traffic is like on my route home and suggests alternative routes if necessary. If the idea of Google Now freaks you out, you can turn it off by following these instructions.